September 3, 2009 Consultation Meeting

Minutes of HISD Instructional Consultation Meeting
September 3, 2009

The meeting of the HISD Instructional Consultation was called to order at 4:30. A presentation was made by the Deloitte Compensation Study team. The intent of the study was to develop recommendations for restructuring the pay structure for non-teaching staff in order to make them equitable, competitive and legally defensible. The recommendations would raise the minimum salary, adjust the scale to provide opportunity for more growth (relieve compression in the scale), and increase the maximum salary to allow for growth. If implemented, no employee would experience a pay cut, most would see a pay increase.

Item E-2 a revision to board policy regarding leave and absences. To bring board policy into compliance with Senate Bill 522 text was changed to update the order of use... Intent is to allow the employee to determine from which leave, state or local, days will be taken from. In other terms, the employee may elect to use local sick leave before using state sick leave or may choose to mix the two in any order desired.
Item E-3 Grant authority to adopt the recommendations of the Deloitte Compensation Study.

SPM 4160.2 Details the sponsorship guidelines and procedures for applicants with a temporary work visa. This SPM details the process used for hiring an applicant who holds a temporary work visa.
SPM 4160.3 This SPM is intended to describe the procedures for monitoring the work hours of hourly and part-time employees and to change the status of an hourly employee to a regular employee. This includes hourly lecturers.

CHT concerns were taken up next
First issue was the coffee break for school based staff members. HR stated that there is no update on this for school based employees and the last mention left it to the discretion of the principal. Hr said this will need a decision. They will take it under advisement.

“Content specialist” using a PDAS like instrument for “grading” a teacher. HR stated that if instrument is used only for “peer” evaluation then there is no problem. If the principal is given the document and uses it for PDAS evaluation then that information must be shared with the teacher and the teacher has the right to respond to the information. If the evaluator uses the information and receipt of a copy is not signed for by the teacher and the appraiser, then the appraisal cannot be used. The problem is that the tone of this is threatening. This issue will be addressed at the Regional Superintendent meeting.

E-mail both CHT and HFT listed this as an issue. Letter from assistant general counsel Mario Vasquez, denying use of e-mail to organizations for communication with members. Organizations will be allowed to use e-mail for communication with their members with the exception of political issues and recruiting. A memorandum will be sent out retracting the original document immediately. Use of e-mail is being reviewed, but a retraction will be issued today.

Opening of school an HFT concern. List of issues is the same as in other years. All of these are coming up again. Law is in effect for all of these, teachers are afraid to challenge the principals on their campus. These issues should not be brought up here every year these should not be violated. Big violation is requiring excessive amounts of required paperwork. Big issue is the dialoging required by the CoreWork program. The principals need to reminded of the requirements of the law.

CoreWork costs the district/state $1.455 million. The program has been used in HISD for three years. It is a data gathering, evaluating, and reporting on getting students ready for college. Problem with the program is that it is currently creating a pool of teachers who are not pleased with how the program is being presented to them. Communicate what this is about and be clear about how a teacher can use this program to help her/his students.

Gradespeed had problems getting set up. Changes have been made in this and the system is now working as planned. The attendance roster updates while you are in Gradespeed, the grade book updates when you logout and log back in. Parents want access now. Please be sure that parents know that grades are updated at the teacher’s convenience. Parents will at this time get access on September 28th.

All teachers should have access to a computer as the district placed a computer on every desk when chancery when on line.

The issue of time out is a problem. The program does not tell you that you have been logged out until you try to update work. It needs to warn you or go back to the log in screen.

You need to contact Thomas Longoria or LaDonna Cooley with specific problems.
South Region Pep Rally/Prayer Service the event was offensive. This needs to be noted and next year the time needs to be better utilized. We don’t need to be spending the time creating “cheers”.

Nurses issues

Swine flu vaccine inoculations: Nurses are leery of actually administering this vaccine due to allergic reactions, pregnancy issues, and other legal issues that school nurses are not ready to assume. These vaccines need to be administered by city/county health personnel.

The decision on this has not been made HISD is being asked for cooperation but a plan has not been decided. Issues are being addressed.

There is a shortage of MI nurses or they are not being hired. Regular school nurses are being required to service MI students by either closing her clinic and spending long blocks of time caring for the MI students or having the MI students brought to her clinic and exposing them to the germs brought in by regular Ed students. Recommendation of the district is that the nurses concerned ask for a needs assessment by the nurse consultant for the hiring of a MI nurse. This decision needs to be made on a case by case basis.
Meeting adjourned at 6:40